Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created unprecedented challenges on the healthcare system. The aim of this multi-centre study was to measure the impact of COVID-19 on IR services in the UK. Material and Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study of IR practice in six UK centres during the COVID-19 pandemic was carried out. All therapeutic IR procedures were identified using the respective hospital radiology information systems and COVID-19 status found on the hospital patient record systems. The total number of therapeutic IR procedures was recorded over two time periods, 25/03/2019–21/04/2019 (control group) and 30/03/2020–26/04/2020 (COVID-19 group). The data points collected were: procedure type, aerosol-generating nature, acute or elective case, modality used, in- or out-of-hours case and whether the procedure was done at the bedside (portable). Results A 31% decrease in overall number of IR procedures was observed during COVID-19 compared to the control group (1363 cases vs 942 cases); however, the acute work decreased by only 0.5%. An increase in out-of-hours work by 10% was observed. COVID-19 was suspected or laboratory proved in 9.9% of cases (n = 93), and 15% of total cases (n = 141) were classed as aerosol-generating procedures. A 66% rise in cholecystostomy was noted during COVID-19. Image-guided ablation, IVC filters, aortic stent grafting and visceral vascular stenting had the greatest % decreases in practice during COVID-19, with 91.7%, 83.3%, 80.8% and 80.2% decreases, respectively. Conclusion During the global pandemic, IR has continued to provide emergency and elective treatment highlighting the adaptability of IR in supporting other specialties.

Ultrasound has a high degree of diagnostic accuracy in the assessment of rotator cuff tendons. Increasingly, ultrasound is being used to measure other parameters of rotator cuff pathology, including the size of the subacromial space, or acromiohumeral distance (AHD). Although this measure has been found to be clinically reliable, no assessment of its validity has been carried out. This technical study reports on the development of a novel ultrasound phantom of the shoulder and its use in validation of ultrasound measurement of AHD. There was a close agreement between AHD measures using ultrasound and the true subacromial space of the phantom model, providing support for the construct validity of this measurement. The phantom model has good potential for further development as a training tool for shoulder ultrasound and guided injections.

Article:Waduud, MA orcid.org/0000-0001-5567-9952, Adusumilli, P, Drozd, M orcid.org/0000-0003-0255-4624 et al. (4 more authors) (2019) Volumetric versus single slice measurements of core abdominal muscle for Sarcopenia. British Journal of Radiology, 92

The purpose of this project was to create a sonographic phantom model of the shoulder that was accurate in bone configuration. Its main purpose was for operator training to measure the acromiohumeral distance. A computerized 3‐dimensional model of the superior half of the humerus and scapula was rendered and 3‐dimensionally printed. The bone model was embedded in a gelatin compound and set in a shoulder‐shaped mold. The materials used had speeds of sound that were well matched to soft tissue and epiphyseal bone. The model was specifically effective in simulating the acromiohumeral distance because of its accurate bone geometry.